In this simulation exercise, students determine where to place a hosptial using a classified land cover map to make environmentally sound land use decisions. Results are presented in a mock town hall meeting. A student worksheet is included within...(View More) this activity. This is a learning activity associated with the GLOBE land cover/biology investigations and is supported by the Land Cover/Biology chapter of the GLOBE Teacher's Guide. GLOBE (Global Learning and Observation to Benefit the Environment) is a worldwide, hands-on, K-12 school-based science education program.(View Less)

In this fieldwork activity, students learn that when setting up a research design a system's boundaries are based on the question(s) a scientist wants to answer. Students ground truth, or validate, a pixel within a homogeneous area of a satellite...(View More) image and ask and answer questions related to their observations. Equipment needed to do this activity include a compass and camera. This is a learning activity associated with the GLOBE Land Cover/Biology investigations and is supported by the GLOBE Teacher's Guide, Land Cover/Biology. GLOBE (Global Learning and Observation to Benefit the Environment) is a worldwide, hands-on, K-12 school-based science education program.(View Less)

Deforestation in Brazil is presented as an example of major environmental changes occurring worldwide. By comparing Landsat images of Rondônia, Brazil from 1975 and 1992, students will analyze the environmental impacts as well as the intended and...(View More) unintended consequences of tree removal. The URL opens to the investigation directory, with links to teacher and student materials, lesson extensions, resources, teaching tips, and assessment strategies. This is Investigation 4 of four found in the Grades 5-8 Module 3 of Mission Geography. The Mission Geography curriculum integrates data and images from NASA missions with the National Geography Standards. Each of the four investigations in Module 3, while related, can be done independently.(View Less)

This investigation introduces students to the phenomena of urban heat islands, areas of higher then normal temperatures associated with populated areas. Using Atlanta, Ga., as the study site, students begin by analyzing the population growth and...(View More) geographic expansion of the area over a 24-year period. Students then use surface images from Landsat, thermal data from aircraft instruments, and land use maps to compare and contrast the distribution of vegetation, variations in daily temperatures, and diversity of land usage types around the city. The URL opens to the investigation directory, with links to teacher and student materials, lesson extensions, resources, teaching tips, and assessment strategies. This is Investigation 3 of four found in the Grades 5-8 Module 3 of Mission Geography. The Mission Geography curriculum integrates data and images from NASA missions with the National Geography Standards. Each of the four investigations in Module 3, while related, can be done independently.(View Less)

Students will compare aerial photos of their area from the past with current photos, noting differences and then conducting ground truth investigations to determine what happened. Finally, students will use the information they gather about past...(View More) changes to make predictions about the future, and consider how past choices have impacted their current environment and how their own choices now will impact the future. Resources required include a pair of aerial photographs or satellite images taken several years apart, a ruler, and graph paper. This activity is part of the Ground Truth Studies Teacher Handbook, which provides more than 20 activities to build student understanding of global change and remote sensing, and includes background chapters for teachers, glossary, and appendices.(View Less)

Through a field trip along a local water course students will conduct a visual survey to discover information about local land use and water quality. They will document their findings with mapping and compilation of a river profile and use this...(View More) initial reconnaissance to raise questions about local land use or river water quality that require investigation. This activity is part of the Ground Truth Studies Teacher Handbook, which provides more than 20 activities to build student understanding of global change and remote sensing, and includes background chapters for teachers, glossary, and appendices.(View Less)